As a pastor, my job is to help you do two jobs: work of ministry and build up.
- In this scenario, I’m a coach, not the player.
- But you have to WANT to play in the game!
The truth is that talents, gifts, and abilities don’t make you successful in life or give you an advantage in the eyes of God.
- Not everyone is all about Jesus and we’re okay with that.
- 2 Corinthians 5:17
- Colossians 3:9 says that we strip off our old sinful nature and wicked deeds.
- Ephesians 4:17-24 Live no longer like the Gentiles do. Throw off your old sinful nature. Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God – truly righteous and holy.
When you turn from sin to follow Jesus, God’s Spirit moves in and starts changing us from the inside out (Rom 8:29)
Here’s how Paul described it in Philippians 1:22-24
- I’m not ashamed to be who He’s made me
- I’m His, whether I live or die
- 1 Corinthians 6:20 says, “for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”
- I’m a manager of something that belongs to someone else.
Paul recognized that his life wasn’t his to direct Philippians 1:22-24
- When we say yes to Jesus, we are agreeing His will >ours.
- Galatians 2 “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me., So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.
Questions is not “Should I be in life group?”
Question is: Why don’t I care more about this?
- First is about what I’m, doing on the outside to look good.
- Second is about the motivation for what you do next.
- Matthew 23:27-28 whitewashed tombs – beautiful on the outside but filled with dead people’s bones. Outwardly you look righteous but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.
If you want to let go of who you used to be, we can prepare you.
APPLICATION:
Ask if you WANT to be different, like Jesus? If not, why?
If so, how outside of sitting and listening to me talk about God in my life, are you making room for God to do something in your life?
Imagine if everyone who claimed to follow Jesus, actually rearranged their calendar, their budgets, their lives to actually do what Jesus said.